354 
True  Winter  s  Bark. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       July,  1890. 
anhydrous  prisms,  and  melts  at  201-2020.  It  has  the  characters 
of  an  acid,  but  none  of  its  salts  could  be  isolated.  Alkalies 
increases,  and  acids  (except  acetic)  diminishes  the  fluorescence  of 
its  solutions.  Ferric  chloride  gives  a  green  coloration,  and,  after  a 
time,  a  green  precipitate,  gold  chloride  gives  a  blue  coloration  and 
green  precipitate.  It  is  dissolved  by  concentrated  sulphuric  acid, 
forming  a  yellowish  solution,  from  which  it  is  re-precipitated 
unchanged  on  adding  water.  Although  not  a  glucoside,  it  reduces 
Fehling's  solution  when  heated  with  it ;  it  also  reduces  silver  nitrate 
and  basic  lead  nitrate.  Potassium  permanganate  in  alkaline  solu- 
tion and  ferric  chloride  in  alcoholic  solution  oxidize  it  to  quinone. 
The  action  of  nitric  acid  is  characteristic  ;  the  concentrated  acid  has 
no  action  in  the  cold,  but  forms  oxalic  acid  on  heating.  On  boiling 
with  very  dilute  (4  per  cent.)  acid,  quinhydrone  and  quinone  are 
successively  formed.  Its  reactions  place  it  in  the  class  of  oxyhydro- 
quinones,  since  it  gives  as  products  of  decomposition  a  di  or  tri- 
hydroxybenzoic  acid,  which  colors  ferric  salts  green,  a  polyvalent 
phenol,  probably  hydroxyquinol  and  quinone.  It  is  probable  that 
two  of  the  oxygen  atoms  are  contained  in  the  same  way  as  in 
hydroxycoumarin  (umbelliferon). 
Triacetylmoradin  crystallizes  from  its  alcoholic  solution  in  white, 
shining  prisms  which  melt  at  177  to  1780.  It  is  not  fluorescent, 
and  has  no  acid  properties.  It  is  insoluble  in  alkalies  in  the  cold, 
and  decomposes  when  warmed  with  them. 
Moradeine  crystallizes  in  opaque,  colorless  prisms,  very  soluble  in 
alcohol,  ether,  chloroform,  etc.,  but  only  slightly  in  water.  It  melts 
at  1 99-2000,  and  exhibits  the  general  reaction  of  an  alkaloid, 
forming  a  well  crystallized  platinochloride  and  aurochloride,  etc. 
TRUE  WINTER'S  BARK.1  (Drymis  Winteri,  Forster.) 
By  P.  N.  Arata  and  F.  Canzoneri. 
After  an  historical  summary  of  the  introduction  of  the  bark  into 
Europe,  the  author  describes  the  genuine  bark  from  the  Straits 
of  Magellan ;  this  occurs  in  the  form  of  deeply-furrowed,  curled-up 
fragments  with  an  earthy  fracture,  exhibiting,  when  in  small  pieces, 
an  internal  reddish-brown  coloration.  When  fresh,  it  has  a  bitter 
and  pungent  taste  and  an  agreeable  odor,  recalling  both  turpentine 
Gazzetta,  xviii,  527 — 539.  Reprinted  from  Jour.  Chem.  Soc.y  April,  p.  405. 
